A 93-year old Junction City resident, Calvin Canniff, skydived for the first time on Friday.

The senior minister at the First Christian Church in Junction City Ronnie Roberts helped arrange the tandem jump overseen by the K-State Parachute Club of Abilene. A tandem jump is where you skydive attached to a partner.

Roberts traveled to Abilene where the skydive occurred. He noted Canniff brought several layers of clothing due to the cool weather conditions at the higher elevations. “He was given a little instruction and they loaded up in the airplane and took off. ”

Roberts was watching when Canniff landed after his jump. “As we were watching the plane someone yelled and we looked off to the west of us, and there were all kinds of chutes and jumpers coming down. ” Roberts added the last jumper was Calvin and his partner. “They came down and just floated down, an easy drop. Several of the guys who arrived earlier received him. So it was a nice easy come-down.”

Roberts noted that Canniff was smiling and seemed to be glad to be back on earth, and that his biggest concern had been the cold during the jump.

The current President of Kansas State University Kirk Schulz is leaving Manhattan.

Schulz posted the following message on K-State’s website Friday

“K-State Faculty, Staff, and Students,

Earlier today, I accepted an offer to serve as the next President of Washington State University.

I will continue to serve as K-State President through mid-May, and will transition to Washington State in mid-June. The Kansas Board of Regents will conduct a search for an Interim President as soon as possible.

Noel and I have thoroughly enjoyed our 7 years at Kansas State — it has been an exciting time to be a Wildcat and a part of the K-State Family. Being part of transforming our multiple campuses has been the highlight of my career in higher education.

I will continue to communicate monthly with the K-State community with Letters to Campus as we finish up the 2016 Spring Semester.

With Purple Pride,

 

 

The new Junction City Municipal Court could be put into operation in the near future…..possibly some time in April.

Right now the sound and microphone system is being installed, and intallation of video monitors must still be done. That work is being overseen by the Information Technology Director for the City of Junction City, Jim Germann.

In addition to Municipal Court functions the building will be the site for future Junction City Commission meetings.

Dickinson County authorities worked multiple grass fires north of Chapman Wednesday afternoon.

There were no injuries and no structural damage.

The Fire Chief in District One in Dickinson County, Paul Froelich, stated they began right at the 286 Chapman exit off of I-70. There was a westbound vehicle on the interstate. “One of our retired firefighters saw the coming off a chain that a vehicle was dragging.” That led to three seperate grass fires.

‘With the wind out of the south it took off north and we had fire threatening the mobile home park located just on the north side of the Chapman exist west of Rain Road. ”

A second fire occurred one half mile west where a large fire went north on Quail Road. The third blaze occurred between the first two fires.

Froelich noted all the fires were near road right-of-ways and headed into areas. “We got very fortunate that we had broke ground by two of them that let us get a jump on it.”

In addition to nine trucks from Dickinson County Fire District One, assistance was also provided by Geary County Rural Fire, Grant Township Fire, and Sherman Fragrant Fire plus the Dickinson County Highway Department.

There was no damage to the mobile homes. Froelich noted the fire was knocked back in time.

Lacee Sell, Superintendent of USD 473, Chapman, is resigning.

In a letter to the USD 473 Board of Education, Sell submitted her written resignation, effective June 30.

Sell said while she didn’t think she would ever leave the superintendent’s position, the personal agendas of individual board members makes it impossible for her to continue. She stated she is firmly grounded in her beliefs, morals and ethics, and she knows what she stands for….coming to work every day making sure her efforts were always in support of the kids and the District.

“When I began five years ago I was expected to increase student achievement, get to know kids as individuals, use a team approach to leadership, exhibit excellent communication, recruit and retain outstanding staff, enhance the District’s impage and develop and manage the District budget. I am proud to say that student achievement has risen, that I know most students by name, we have a strong leadership team who together have secured outstanding staff, and the District’s image has steadily improved. Despite the recent and ongoing budget cuts by the state of Kansas, the District is in sound financial shape. Your actions and comments to me the last nine months have made it clear that your agenda is different and that you no longer have these expectations of your superintendent.”

Sell said she believes USD 473 is in better shape now than when she arrived and she hopes she played a small part in that improvement. She called it a blessing to have a leadership position amongst some of the most remarkable children and hardest working staff imaginable. She added she is grateful for the support shown by the entire staff and the school community.

The Chapman Board of Education recently voted 5-2 not to extend Sell’s contract which currently runs through June of 2017. That prompted public calls in her support at a Board meeting in February.

Sell has accepted a job as the Executive Director of Teaching and Learning in the USD 383 Manhattan – Ogden school district.

 

 

Dorothy Bramlage Public Library officials are working with architects on a concept design to expand the library at 230 West 7th Street.

Library Director Susan Moyer discussed the initial concept design. “Shows us basically pushing the Library through most of the existing lot, basically squaring off the building, and then also pushing east through that strip parking lot that runs in between the Municipal Building and the Library.”

Moyer said that would give the library 26,000 square feet of space, well above the current space of about 14,000 square feet.

“Right now we’re continuing to work on the design with the architect.” Moyer added when the basic concept is done they’ll begin doing the interior design work.

A cost estimate is not yet available, but Moyer confirmed they are looking at private donations, and potentially grants or other types of assistance to finance the project. They are not looking at pursuing public funding.

City Commission approval would also be needed for the project.

FORT RILEY, Kan. – A 1st Infantry Division Soldier who was found dead in his vehicle Saturday ( March 19 )  has been identified.

The Army confirms that Sgt. Shaun Covington, 25, was a signal support noncommissioned officer assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div. He arrived at Fort Riley in February 2013. Covington deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from April 2011 through April 2012 and Operation Inherent Resolve from June 2014 to March 2015.

The Riley County Police Department is investigating Covington’s death but they have confirmed that no foul play is suspected. Police responded to Annenerg Park Saturday morning where they found Covington dead in his vehicle with an apparent gun shot wound.

“The Quarterhorse squadron is deeply saddened by the loss of Sgt.
Covington,” said Lt. Col. Bradley Laauwe, commander of 1st Sqdn., 4th Cav.
Regt. “We are prepared to support Shaun’s family and friends during this
difficult time.”

 

The Army’s premier touring musical organization, the United States Army Field Band, entertained a nearly full house at the C. L. Hoover Opera House Saturday night.

The audience had an opportunity to hear performances ranging from the Armed Forces Salute and The Stars and Stripes Forever to a trombone solo “Annie Laurie,”  and vocal group ensemble songs. There were even two Opera performances, “”O mio babbino caro” and “Papageno.”

One of the band members, Staff Sgt. Heidi Ackerman, sings alto in the Soldiers Chorus. She is a former school teacher turned soldier who has been in the U.S. Army since 2013. Prior to joining the opera she also performed professionally with the Arizona Opera. ” I knew that I wanted to be on stage fulltime, but I wanted the financial security of a fulltime job. And learned about the military’s options for professional musicians.”

Ackerman went through auditions, and then Army basic training for 10 weeks at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, before becoming a member of the band.  They tour the nation. “We have been to probably almost every state. The Field Band has the United States divided into five quadrants basically and so every long tour, every spring and fall we go to one of those different quadrants. ” This time the band is on a 10-state midwest tour where they flew to California and are working their back to Washington D.C. from California.

Ackerman noted for the most part she feels at home on stage. “The beautiful part about this job is we spend so much time on stage we can get very comfortable. Which means and ensures that the audience is going to get the highest quality performance, and see that high top professionalism that the Field Band and these soldiers have to offer.”

This was the first appearance for the band at the C. L. Hoover Opera House.

 

Junction City Commissioner Jim Sands has announced that there will be a Buffalo Soldier Chapter meeting Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library.This will be the first meeting of that Chapter to get it organized and operational again.

Sands said he will have registration forms for the Buffalo Soldier Chapter. Ten active members are needed to bring the chapter back to active status. Sands said, “We will build this Buffalo Soldier Chapter to carry the legacy forward to the future and beyond. We want people who will do research of these historic periods and their legacy.

There is a strong history for the Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Riley.

The Buffalo Soldier Chapter meeting will be preceded by a Juneteenth Committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the same location.

The subject of First Infantry Division troop deployments planned for 2016 arose during a question and answer session between the members of the Flint Hills Regional Council and Fort Riley Garrison Commander, Colonel Andew Cole on Friday.

The Council met in Grandview Plaza.

Cole reported that the 1st Brigade Combat Team, approximately 3,500 to 4,000 troops, is preparing to go to the National Training Center and then to southwest Asia for nine months. “We expect for Asia, because one of our brigades is aligned with United States Army Pacific.”

As the 1st Brigade Combat Team departs the 2nd Brigade Combat Team is expected to be about ready to return to Fort Riley from a nine month deployment to the Middle East. Departing for the Middle East at intervals this year would be approximately half of the Combat Aviation Brigade, about 2,000 soldiers,  and Cole noted by Halloween the 1st Infantry Division Headquarters of about 600-700 troops.  The 1st Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade recently returned to the post.

The authorized strength of the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley is about 16,000 soldiers, but at one point approximately half of those could be deployed in 2016.